


Second Chances

by FanGirlyGlee



Category: DC's Legends of Tomorrow (TV)
Genre: Angst, F/M, M/M, Moving On
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-24
Updated: 2019-05-24
Packaged: 2020-03-13 10:16:08
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,622
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18938908
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FanGirlyGlee/pseuds/FanGirlyGlee
Summary: Obligatory season 4 wrap up fic, so yeah spoilers for S4.I'm trying to decide how my Atomwave OTP heart will deal with canon Ray/Nora going forward.  So I decided to whip out a two-sides of the same coin scenario.  In one, Ray's with Nora and that's that.  In the other (Ch 2, btw) I go AU.  I'll see what happens.  Let me know what you think.





	1. Bereft

**Author's Note:**

> This chapter is just 2 short scenes. The first takes place before the team rallies in Nip/Stuck. The second is after the finale. Oh, though I don't know how the show will deal with Zari/Behrad situation I'm going to assume that Mick remembers Zari because Chronos stuff.

Mick had just about reached his limit for this crap.  The dull ache behind his eyes had been getting sharper all day.  He wanted to get drunk; flat out wasted.  But there wasn’t time, as Pretty kept reminding him. 

“We can’t give up on Ray,” he was saying for the tenth time.   

Mick kicked the bridge console.  “You think I wanted to burn him?” He shouted.  “There’s a demon out there wearing his face; planning to use it to do God knows what.  Is Ray trapped in there with him? We don’t know.  Our expert is a strung out magician who's out of tricks.”  He felt Zari’s hand on his wrist and managed to reign in his anger.  “I had your dad’s ghost in me and I didn’t even feel it," he explained to Nate.  "It's a safe bet being possessed is worse.  If Haircut’s suffering…”

Nate hung his head, acknowledging that he understood why Mick had told Gideon to fire. 

Sara sighed.  “I’m more worried about what Neron has planned now that he’s got Ray’s face.”

“Yeah, he doesn’t brag about it, but Ray’s still a big deal in some circles,” Nate noted.  “Look, I’m scared for him too."

Xxx

The after party was too much.  Zari was gone and there was this dude in her place.  Mick knew why he was there, but that didn't mean it didn't feel wrong.   He emerged from his room after everyone else was supposed to be in bed.   Ray was in the kitchen making snacks for two.  He turned around before Mick could make his retreat.  “Hey! I wondered where you were.”

Mick shrugged and tried to play it cool. “Hell didn’t want ya, huh?”

“Guess I get a second chance too.”

“You’re big on those.”

Ray smiled, his eyes lighting up the damn room.  Mick hated how much he missed that face, knowing he had stopped being the reason for it a long time ago.  “M’sorry,” he mumbled.

“For what?”

“Everything.  I thought, if Nero or whatever his name was took your body and did a bunch of awful stuff with it maybe it would be too much.  What if you couldn’t live with it.  You’re not like me and Sara.”

Without warning he was being Palmer-hugged.  “You don’t have to carry that weight for me,” Ray said softly. 

The kindness broke through Mick's resolve to remain stone-faced despite the joy he felt at having Ray emerge from this latest mess largely unscathed. He opened his mouth and the words spilled out. 

“I was an idiot.  Back then.  I ran away from the team – from you.  I never thought I could have anything like…”

Ray pulled back and patted him on the arm.  “It was a difficult time for you,” he said soberly.

Mick’s hands clenched into fists and he swallowed hard.  “I should have found you – made you come with me. Could been different.”

“Mick.”  Ray sounded regretful.  "We can't go back. Nora…”

“She’s good,” Mick declared, trying to regain his composure.  “She’ll look out for you an’ keep you from being too…you.  She’s strong - stronger than I could be.”  He cleared his throat and turned away before Ray could see his eyes welling.

He grabbed a couple bottles of the good bad stuff and settled in for a night of remembering and regretting.  Ray was home safe.  That was good enough.  Happy endings were for Rebecca Silver’s stories.


	2. Don't Give Up

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Here's the post S4 finale AU bit. My fantasy epilogue to the season.

Ray sat up, overjoyed to have his body back and acutely aware of every sensation he’d taken for granted.  He looked around for his friends, saw Mick at the edge of the group and breathed a small sigh of relief until he saw Nate lying prone.  “Nate! 

Thankfully, Nate was saved, but that didn't mean everything was back to normal.  Ray went to the med bay after assureing Nora that he would be fine on his own.  She’d frowned and given him a stern look.  “You’ve been to hell and back.  Promise me you’ll take it easy.” 

“Yes Fairy Godm…”  She thwapped him on the arm with her wand. 

“Idiot.”

The affection in her voice was evident.  Ray was happy to count her among his friends.  There was a time he’d thought there could be more between them, but Nora swore she could see that his heart belonged to someone else.  As Gideon checked him over, Ray's mind wandered.

Xxx

_2 or 3 crises prior, after the destruction of the Spear of Destiny..._

Mick was refusing to let Gideon check him out and Ray was having none of it.  “Haircut, I’m covered in mud and sweat and blood that's mostly someone else's, but I ain't dead."

“But you could have been.”  Ray refused to be put off again.  Standing with his back to the washroom door he began peeling off his under armor.  Mick stopped with his pants half off and gave him a bemused look.  

“I think you can wait your turn for the shower.” Ray looked at the man who'd called him "partner" when he needed it most; the tension between them that had simmered for months suddenly came to a rolling boil.  He stepped up and cupped Mick’s face in his hands.

“I think you’ve made me wait long enough,” he stated firmly before fastening bringint their mouths together. 

Mick didn't slug him, or even tell him to quit goofin'. They stood there, lips locked for what seemed like hours until Jax started pounding on the door.  “Come on you guys, I‘ve got Thawne guts all over me.”

Ray chuckled and released Mick.  “We’ll talk later.  You can’t avoid me forever.”

Mick favored him with a lopsided smile. 

Xxx

It turned out that Ray was wrong since Mick fled to Aruba and kept his distance once the team got back together to fix anachronisms. Ray supposed that their time had passed, and did his best to avoid worrying about what might have been.  Drowning in his sudden melancholy, Ray knew he should get some real sleep, but found several reasons to stay away from his empty room.  The chore wheel had largely been ignored, and the card game he created was all over the table in the captain’s office.  When he nodded off while drying the dishes he trudged reluctantly toward the crew’s quarters.  He stopped in front of Mick’s room, wishing the lump in his throat weren't there. But he knocked on the door anyway.

It was clear that Mick hadn’t been asleep either, though he looked as tired as Ray felt. “Hey.”

Ray tried to sound cheery. “Hey, I missed you earlier.  Not in a party mood?”

“When am I ever in a party mood?” Mick's scowl faded.  “What do you need, Haircut?”

Ray thought he might cry as he tried not to sob “you”.  He cleared his throat instead.  “Uh, so, I went to Hell and that was strange.  I’m back in my body and I guess I’m not hurt, but there’s glitter in my hair and clothes and my lips are chapped like I’ve been making out with someone which is disconcerting. Anyway I was wondering if maybe I could, um, hang out with you because I don’t want to be alone tonight.” The speed at which the last few words came out made him cringe 

Mick seemed surprised.  He stepped back, waving Ray inside. 

“Haven’t been in here in a long time. You’ve redecorated.”

“Don’t think empty bottles counts as bric-a-brac,” Mick replied.  “Speaking of which, you want a drink?”  He offered Ray a beer.

“Thanks. Wow, Maybe it’s because I didn’t drink anything for however long I was gone but this tastes great.”

“I started brewing my own.  You like it?  I got the hops from the 15th century.”

“Mm, yeah.  Wow, you’ve got a lot of hobbies these days.  Long way from B&Es to pass the time.”

“Oh well I only do it know to stay in practice. Look you might as well just come out and say it.  You’re disappointed.”

Ray took another swig of beer.  “Huh? Why?”

Mick’s brow furrowed.  “I gave up on you,” he admitted ruefully.

Ray tried to shrug it off.  “Oh, well, I suppose you had your reasons.  I didn’t exactly stay in touch after the Bureau disbanded us.   When we got the Waverider back I didn't want to assume...

“What the? I meant cuz I told Gideon to fire on the demon wearing you like a Halloween costume. I didn’t believe you could make it back from Hell.  Are you…are you talking about way back after that stuff with the spear?”  Ray felt as exposed as he did in his dreams where he had to defend one of his dissertations in his cowboy jammies from when he was 7-years-old. 

“Oh.”  He downed the rest of his bottle and stifled a belch.  “Er, well I didn’t know about that.  I guess you had your reasons.  Look, I shouldn’t have bothered you…”  He tried to leave, but Mick grabbed his hand and didn't seem inclined to let go. 

“You’re right.  I did give up back then.  I couldn’t believe you really wanted – it had to be adrenaline.”

Ray couldn’t look him in the eye.  “At that moment, yes.  Though I wouldn’t have done it if I hadn’t thought you’d felt something too.  Was I wrong? Did I imagine it?”

When Mick dropped his hand Ray’s heart sank.  Suddenly he was crushed in a bear hug, the smooth leather of Mick’s gloved hand warm on nape of his neck.  “You didn’t imagine it.”

Ray dared to hope. “Please give us another chance,” he pleaded. 

“Okay, but you ever go to Hell again I'm comin' after you.”

"Deal. I'll introduce you to my new friend, Vandi."

**Author's Note:**

> I know it's short and sad. Let me know what you think - within reason. I've had to start moderating comments as my inbox has been blowing up with rants and insults.


End file.
